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'The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord’
I had the pleasure on Sunday June 9th to celebrate the eucharist at St Elizabeth’s Church, Jacksonville. Karen Gardiner and John Howland, lay ministers in the church, welcomed and guided me. They are both graduates of Bishop’s Institute lay leadership courses. I took as my sermon text the passage from that Sunday’s Gospel about our kinship and unity in Christ as suggested in the last two sentences:
And looking at those who sat around him, [Jesus] said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
This same note of kinship and unity in Christ is made manifest in the annual feast that is observed on June 29--- the Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. It is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the two apostles.
This feast is particularly significant to Rome because the two apostles are patron saints together of the Eternal City. The numerous graffiti scratched upon the walls of the halls near their tombs in the first years of the fourth century acclaim indifferently ‘Peter and Paul’ and ‘Paul and Peter’ reflecting the fact that these two apostles enjoyed equal honor in Rome. Rome took equal pride in them--they were compared to the Dioscuri (aka ‘sons of Zeus’ --- Castor and Pollux, “the heavenly twins”) whom the pagans had regarded as the special guardians of Rome.
This special identification and affection that yokes together the two apostles is remarkable when we reflect on the various moments in the New Testament in which Peter and Paul seemed an unlikely pair of companions or fellow sojourners. Yet we rejoice that their kinship in a common allegiance to the Lord and in a common mission transcends whatever disagreements or differences of opinion they held.
That we can see and celebrate their unity and kinship while acknowledging their distinctive and different personalities and convictions is a gift of the Holy Spirit to them and to us.
Bishop John Pritchard, writing about Christian unity, encourages us to ever keep the Holy Spirit in mind and prayers in reflecting on the centrality of Christ’s own prayer for our unity. He shares a Sufi saying that you think because you understand the meaning of one you must understand the meaning of two, because one and one makes two. But, they say, you must also understand the meaning of ‘and’ in the phrase ‘one and one.’ Our ‘and’ is God the Holy Spirit who delights in wholeness and turns ‘one and one’ into ‘us.’
Amen to that. Veni Creator Spiritus.
Yours sincerely,
Douglas Dupree
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Feast of SS. Peter and Paul: June 29 | |
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And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16.18
Paul an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. Galatians 1.1.
COLLECT
Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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On Saturday, May 25, over the Memorial Day Weekend, not everyone on that day took to the water or fired up the grill, but some thirty-four participants from churches in the Diocese gathered at the Cathedral for a liturgy workshop led by the Dean, Kate Moorehouse Carroll. ‘Living Liturgy: A Survey of Worship Services Created Since the BCP 1979’ was co-sponsored by the Bishop’s Institute and St John’s Cathedral and is the second offering in a series on liturgy with more to come.
The interview below with Dean Kate gives a flavor of the day’s teaching and discussion.
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THE INTERVIEW
1. Dean Kate, in your opening words, you reminded that the aim of the minister in ordering worship is to enable the worshipper to come into the presence of God and that the aim of the liturgy is to facilitate that communion between us and our Maker--- or words to those effects. Can you say a few words—in your words-- about why this is essential for the worship planner or leader to hold in mind?
The worship planner or leader is called to provide a space within which the Holy Spirit can change the hearts of the faithful. In order to create such a space, the worship leader/planner must have a good knowledge of the ancient rites of our faith but also of the language that the congregation speaks and how to adapt these ancient rites so that they speak with a living voice in a modern context. That worship leader must always put the growth and transformation of their congregation ahead of any personal ideas or issues they may want to stress. Real transformation and real justice happen when the worshipper encounters God and is changed.
2. You reminded us that worship essentially involves opening our hearts to God--- not just our minds – but our hearts—and you drew our attention to the beautiful collect for Purity that opens the Eucharist. Maybe a few words about this.
Worship is not fundamentally about intellectual understanding (though that is wonderful when it happens, and Episcopalians are called not to check our brains at the door) but about the opening of the heart. That is why the ancient words of the Collect for Purity are placed at the beginning of the service.
3. What constitutes ‘too many words’ in a liturgy? Why should the worship leader or planner be aware of ‘too many words’ in preparing or leading a service in our time?
One hundred years ago, when people worked primarily with their hands and their lives were filled with silence, they longed for words in worship. Now Americans come to church and their brains are deluged with words: from TV ads to the internet to texts and phone calls. It is silence that they are hungry for now. And shorter passages of Scripture speak much louder than longer ones. We simply can’t take in too many more words.
4. Silence is a powerful component or factor in corporate worship. Why so? How so?
When the prophet Elijah heard the “still small voice” upon a mountain, a better translation was that he heard the sound of eloquent silence. It is at first uncomfortable for us, but it is what we are starving for. Silence can be gently incorporated into our liturgy with very little effort, but it must be clear to the congregation that it is intentional and why it is important.
5. How does the size of a congregation or worshipping community act as a significant factor in planning good worship? Might some worship factors rightly appear different if leading worship in a family size body of 1-50 people in comparison to a program sized congregation of 150-350?
The size of a congregation does determine a lot about how effective worship can be conducted. Small parishes have the gift of intimacy. They can celebrate birthdays, pray for each other by name, make specific announcements that are lay led. Larger congregations have the majesty of numbers but they cannot be as personal and they must watch their time and remain consistent and fair when it comes to things like Prayers of the People and Announcements.
6. If you were consulted about designing the building or worship space for a new church breaking ground in 2024, what might be some of the significant design features?
Architecture is another artistic expression of our devotion. In this present time, people are being called by the Holy Spirit outside, so a simple sanctuary with windows that look out upon the natural world would really speak to people. Versatile space is also becoming more and more important so chairs that could be moved around would be ideal.
Click here for a list of books related to liturgy.
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Bishop's Institute Book List for June | |
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David Bindman. William Blake’s Universe (Hardcover) – May 7, 2024.
This exhibition catalogue (from the recently closed Blake exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge) in images and text puts paid to the reigning myth of Blake as a solitary genius in a world that rejected him and tells his story alongside the stories of his European contemporaries and their extraordinary works.
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David Brown. Learning from Other Religions (Hardcover) – January 25, 2024.
What is the relation between other religions and our own? Is there any other approach in answering different to the conventional classifications of exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism? Maybe a fresh and deeper reflection into the nature of revelation guided by a gifted theologian and philosopher. (Maybe not for summer poolside reading.)
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Vine Deloria Jr. God is Red: A Native View of Religion (Paperback) – June 20, 2023 (A 50th anniversary revised edition of the beloved classic, God is Red.)
Food for the imagination and soul “. . . a powerful voice, informing us about a spiritual life that is independent of Western religion and that reveres interconnectedness of all living things. – Amazon.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The Black Box: Writing the Race (Hardcover) – March 19, 2024.
“This is a literary history of Black America, but it is also an argument that African American history is inextricable from the history of African American literature.”
—The New York Times
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William Morgan. Academia: Collegiate Gothic Architecture in the United States (Hardcover)- October 31, 2023.
In Academia, the noted architectural historian William Morgan traces the entire arc of Collegiate Gothic, from its first emergence at campuses like Kenyon and Bowdoin to its apotheosis in James Gamble Rogers’s intricately detailed confections at Yale. . . Ever alert to the complicated cultural and social implications of this style, Morgan devotes special sections to its manifestations at prep schools and in the American South. . . Amazon review.
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Pádraig Ó Tuama. Being Here: Prayers for Curiosity, Justice, and Love (Hardcover) – January 23, 2024 | |
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Sally Welch. Mapping Your Spiritual Journey: A companion and guide (Paperback) – March 28, 2024.
Mapping your spiritual journey is a technique used in spiritual direction, on retreats and pastoral work, as a way of recognizing and interpreting God's presence in the highs and lows of your life experiences.
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Jessica Hooten Wilson. Reading for the Love of God: How to Read as a Spiritual Practice (Hardcover) – March 28, 2023.
Wilson makes a compelling case for reading as a spiritual practice that deepens our faith. Along the way she informs how some of the early church fathers like Basil the Great read and encouraged us to read other books besides the Bible in order to strengthen our abilities to read the Bible. We see how the great Augustine of Hippo’s conversion to Christianity was completed by his mentor Ambrose of Milan who taught him how to read and interpret the Bible. This was the book we used for reflection at the annual Diocesan Deacons Day gathering earlier this month.
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Not only God, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul but Guess Who Else: A Review of God’s Ghostwriters: Enslaved Christians and the Making of the Bible by Candida Moss | |
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Reviewer: Owene Courtney
In an interview with the Rev. Dr. Shively Smith, author Candida Moss gave a charming example of the why she wrote this book.
“Well, I had gotten to the age where I needed glasses, and as a writer that is difficult…and I wondered how people managed during antiquity without glasses. And I discovered they had to use other people! Then the pandemic came, and I stayed home with my family and realized the only reason I could do that was because of other people! When I got things from Amazon that I needed, I acted as if Jeff Bezos had delivered it to my door! Then when I told people I was renovating my kitchen, I thought I am not a construction worker and you do not want me to come do your plumbing!”
Credit where credit is due
This extraordinary book is about the importance of giving credit where credit is due. “Giving credit is a subversive act,” Moss says. The apostles were not the only ones responsible for the expansion of Christianity; enslaved literary labor helped bring the Bible to life and spread Christianity. This is a book in which every other page you catch yourself saying really? And the author saying Did you know? Who were these invisible laborers of whom we have never heard?
A cohort of enslaved coauthors
The message of Jesus and his apostles reached a wider audience than it could have found without these invisible helpers. Hidden behind the named and sainted individuals, all men, who have been credited with the authorship of the New Testament, is a cohort of enslaved coauthors and collaborators. They produced the earliest manuscripts by making the parchment, taking dictation, improving grammar and polishing and refining final texts. When it was time to move the Christian message out, it was enslaved couriers, anonymous bystanders and former patients of Jesus who were the first Christian missionaries undertaking dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean and along Roman roads. And when the texts were read aloud to new audiences of potential converts, it was educated and trained enslaved literate laborers who performed them, frequently changing whatever needed to be clarified or emphasized.
Moss is quick to say, lest you think Roman slavery must have been very different from Atlantic slavery, it was still slavery. She tells many stories from antiquity, some folklore and some documented of the atrocious punishment of this enslaved class if they did not fulfill their duties. Unlike enslaved people in the Atlantic system, Roman slaves were taught to read and write so they could perform this literary labor. In antiquity, those with vision problems would have no glasses, there were no printing presses, no paper, and of course no electricity.
To continue reading, please click here.
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Come and Dine!
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Palatka
launches Dinner Church
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An article by the Rev. Dr Jon Davis | |
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Something good is happening at St. Mark’s in Palatka around a table!
Dinner Church, a viable mission to reach people with the good news of the Gospel and to see His Kingdom come!
The Neighborhood—A Community Dinner
On April 21 and May 26, 2024, St. Mark’s Palatka hosted The Neighborhood – A Community Dinner. These gatherings were successful on every level, exceeding expectations. They were joyful, anchored in missional purpose, connected people who were strangers, built community, explored discipleship and most of all fun.
These Dinner Churches didn’t just happen, there was some direction and planning beginning last Fall. I became the part-time Rector of St. Mark’s in August of 2023. In that process I spoke of my other vocation with Fresh Expressions which is about remaking the mission of the church to reach the unchurched population which makes up 80%+ of our culture and society. In October I did a seminar and well over half the congregation of St. Mark’s attended learning about the missional landscape that is before us and what we can do to be faithful to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ by word and example (Baptismal Covenant – BCP p.305).
In January in the season of Epiphany I taught a Rector’s Forum after our morning service for 6 weeks, where I introduced the specific Fresh Expression concept of Dinner Church, detailing what it is and how it works with plans to launch a Dinner Church post Easter. With the eager help of the congregation, we worked toward that goal. There was a team of folks; from working the kitchen, set-up, clean-up, covering details and more.
Prayerful listening
One of the first things a number of us did was prayerful listening. It seemed clear and we determined that our first throw of the net was to the historic neighborhood that surrounds St. Mark’s property. There are dozens of homes within walking distance and we wanted to connect and love our neighbors. It seemed obvious to name this event The Neighborhood, A Community Dinner. We did some prayer walks with invitations in hand, talking with folks who were out working in the yard and knocking on a few doors and having some meaningful conversations; inviting them into a community experience to meet their neighbors. We also asked the congregation to invite their “neighbors” and friends where they live (specifically unchurched folks) to join us as well.
In throwing the net you never know what you are going to catch. To our surprise 30% of the people who came to the first Neighborhood gathering were not connected to St. Mark’s in any formal fashion.
We loved and served our guests
We followed a pattern. After listening we loved and served our guests. We had door prizes (a couple of local gift cards – which allowed us to collect some data). We prepared a tasty and unique meal of rice bowls with a wide variety of tasty toppings (Gumbo, Asian, Mexican, Spanish, Vegan, etc.) As most churches, St, Mark’s can put on a great meal with all the ‘fixins’! People raved about the food and the genuine hospitality.
Around the table people connected, had conversations, laughed and experienced real joy in the moment. I truly believe the Holy Spirit fueled those joyful moments, there was something beyond us at work. We easily slid into the next step of building community as strangers became friends, relationships formed, and bonds were made.
During the January training there was a timidity about talking with strangers as some from St. Mark’s thought they needed to be theologians, scholars and evangelists to talk about God. We dispelled that with a simple instruction: Do you know how to be a friend? Can you have some empathy for others and express authentic care and concern? That is what we are to do and that is what happened. Members of St. Mark’s “worked the room” with kindness, compassion, mercy and love.
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Exploring discipleship
Finally, we hit the last step of exploring discipleship. I had a short presentation, showed a favorite video (Click Here). And spoke about being good neighbors and how Jesus loved all sorts of people (Roman soldiers (enemies), Tax Collectors (traitors), Foreigners (pagans), Samaritans (other races), the infirmed, needy, lost, lonely and the least. He gathered often at table for a meal with these social outcasts and shared with them the truth of the Gospel, pointing them to his coming Kingdom. I spoke of the epidemic of isolation and loneliness in our society and how Jesus wants nothing more than to invite people into being a family. We ended with an opportunity to write prayer requests on “post-its” and stick them to a large wooden cross that hangs on our wall in the parish hall. We collected 20+ requests and eventually handed them over to our Daughters of the King group for intercession.
The hope in Dinner Church is that this will grow into a faith community, an authentic ecclesia (the Greek word for church). If I were to frame this within our tradition and the prayer book, I would liken what we did liturgically to Evening Prayer. The goal is not to get them to Sunday morning but rather this is a new form, a Fresh Expression of church in a new context.
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To continue reading and for resources, books, and training, please click here. | |
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Pentecost and ‘Ordinary Time’
Welcome to the twenty-seven Sundays after Pentecost. Known as the “Season after Pentecost”. But, frequently referred to as “Ordinary Time." But wait! Is it ordinary, as in boring, or something else?
The term Pentecost means “the fiftieth day” (Greek). It originally referred to the Jewish feast of seven weeks known as the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot). It was a festival that focused on the harvesting of first fruits, and a favorite holiday that filled the city of Jerusalem with visitors.
We Christians know Pentecost as the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus made concerning the return of the Holy Spirit. The disciples had gathered in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came upon them like tongues of fire, and they began speaking in tongues. Notice how tongues of fire, enable the speaking in tongues.
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:3-4).
This event (receiving the Spirit) is interpreted by some to symbolize the church's worldwide preaching to gather in the faithful.
I find it interesting that early in His ministry Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38). Jesus will anoint His followers with the Holy Spirit on the day of the Feast of Harvest. Perhaps there are no coincidences?
Pentecost is always scheduled on the seventh Sunday after Easter. It emphasizes that the church is drawn together and given life by the Holy Spirit. The Day of Pentecost is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year in the Episcopal Church.
I started this story by saying that some refer to the Season after Pentecost as “ordinary.” However, the early Christians would have used the word ordinary in the context that most likely meant “numbered” (think ordinal numbers), because the Sundays after Pentecost are numbered:
So, the Sunday after Pentecost is always Trinity Sunday. On the Sunday after Trinity Sunday, we jump to a certain “Proper,” depending on the date.
- “Proper 1” occurs on the Sunday that falls between May 8 and 14.
- “Proper 2” between May 15 and 21.
- “Proper 3” between May 22 and 28. And so on.
While services are numbered, the church is only ordinary if we make it so. So put on the full armor of God and let’s fill our churches with the Holy Spirit. May you have a most wonderful Ordinary Season.
Praying that our Lord finds you and yours well.
The Ven. Mark Richardson,
Archdeacon
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